Rail-joint.



JOHN G. SMITH, OF PAWNEE, ILLINOIS. l

' I' RAIL-JOINT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

p Application Bled July 18,- 1907. Serial N o.- 384,468.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. SMITH', a citi zen of the United States, residing at Pawnee,

inthe county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new'and useful Rail- Joint, of which the following is such a'full,

clear, and exact description as will enable others skilled in the art -to which it appertains to make and use my said invention.

My invention relates to means for connecting the rails of railways so as to admit of expansion and. contraction of the rails se arately, and prevent lifting of, or lateral displacementof the rails.

The invention consists in the ynovel features of construction, and combinations of parts, shown inthe annexed drawings, to which reference is hereby made, andl hereinafter particularly descrlbed and finally recited in the claims. Y

Referring to the drawing Figure 1, shows two rails connected by means of my improved rail-joint; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached er-v spective view of the complete rail-joint; ig.

.3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3. 3. of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a pers ective view of the detachable member of t e railgral central block A shaped to match the heads of the rails C, which are connected by the rail joint.

The member B has @Ongi-wenn rib I fitting in a corres onding channel a in the under side of the b ook A1; and a lng b1 fitting ina corresponding notch al, in the under side of the head Af.

Thel lower part of the member A is shapedv to conform to the base of the rail and has a longitudinal lip a2, fitting alon lthe outer edge of the base of the rail, an notches a3 accomodatin s ikes D which connect the members wit' t e ties. l

The member B has a corresponding lip b2 and notches b3;

Holes a* in the member A, and similar holes b* in the member B, accomodate bolts E connecting the rails with the rail ioint members Aand B.

The longitudinal rib b, fitting in the longitudinal channel a, holds the member B against the block Al when the rail-joint is spiked down to the ties and'prevents lateral movement of the member B.

The central lug b1,- tting in the notch c1, centers the member'B relative to the member A, so that the bolt holes of* and b4 will always be in line for the inserticn of the bolts E' connecting the rails with the rail-joint.

The s aces F and F between the members A, and B, conform to the Webs and the bases of the rails C,"so that the rails iit snuglyv in. the spaces. The ends'of the rails match 'the ends ofI the block A and the heads' of the rails rest upon the upper edges of the members A and B.

The bolt holes of the rails are elongated in the usual manner suiticien tly to permit contraction and expansion of the rails separately.v

' The members A and B are formed to t closely against the rails and when the members A and B are s iked to the ties it is impossible for the rai .s to lift, or to move laterally.

The great prac; joint herein set forth is that it may be used With rails'of the forms now in common use without making any change in the rails.

Having fully described'm'y invention what 'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rail-joint comprising a member havlongitudinal channel and' a central notch;

land a complemental member havin a longitudinal rib tting in the longitudina channell of' the block of said irst named member, 'and a central lug fitting in the central notch on the under side of the central block of said first named member.

2. A .rail-joint comprising a member havmg an integral central block crnforming'to the head of a rail and provided with a lon i- 4tudinal channel and a central notch on te tical advantage of the rail- I under side of saidblock` and also having a longitudinal li adapted At'ot along the edge of the base el) e'rail; and' a eomplementel rail-joint member having e longitudinal rib, adapted to t in the channel on the under side of the v`block of the lrst named member,

e lug adapted to t in the central notch onV the under side of seid block, and a lipedept- Y ed to lie along theedge of the bese of e rail.

In 4Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my nement Pawnee Illinois this 14th 10 day of Mey 1907.

, I JOHN G. SMITH'.y

Witnesses: 1

CLAUDE H.. KEEL, JAMES M. DUNCAN.- 

